Nature Takes its Course
by Gillingham
Summary: Pamela has news.


Louis had returned to the small box of toys after he'd had his juice and cookies. His mother and Auntie Pam were still having tea on the sofas, talking. Louis simply wasn't interested in anything they were talking about, except the isolated remark about his grandfather being expected back soon. Grandpa Victor was just about his favourite person in the entire world except of course his mother. He still didn't like to let his mother out of his sight for too long, but playing on his own like this was fine. After all, he could hear his mother's voice from the next room. He liked Auntie Pam, too. She always talked to him properly. Looked him in the eye and said things for real. Not like Grandma Rhoda who would always look at him with a strange sad face and then talk to his mother like Louis didn't understand. His Mum said Grandma was just feeling so sorry for him because of everything that had happened. He wished people would stop reminding him and just let him be.

Natalie visited Pam and Victor regularly. She did make a point of meeting Rhoda as well when Byron was out of town. Natalie's personal opinion of Rhoda was what it was but she was not going to deprive Louis of a single relative that was even remotely available for keeping in touch with. However, seeing Pam and Victor was something Natalie absolutely relished. She still marveled at the understanding and bond she had formed with Byron's father. There were those couple of times they had met early on and immediately respected one another, but at the end of the war when she was recovering at the hospital his letters had cut through the haze and cloud she existed in for such a long time. Something about the way he talked to her made her respond, much like she did to Byron. Byron's father was like a concentrate of the presence Byron also had in him.

Of course Natalie and Pam had been friends of sorts back in Paris, but the connection really had been through the other parties in their little gang, Phil and Leslie. The girls got to know each other and spent time together because the men did. They always got along and appreciated each other's company and sense of humor. But once their arrangement in Paris came to an end there was really nothing to keep the two women in touch. Now they were practically related and though again the connection on one level was through their respective men again, the women had also formed a bond of their own. They shared people in the past and somehow that meant that their friendship was in a way a bridge to the past. The times before the war, their carefree, crazy youth. They certainly weren't those people anymore, but that didn't mean they wanted to forget their path to becoming the people they certainly were today. Natalie liked Pamela and Victor very much for the same reasons her son did: they never talked down to her as if she was an invalid because of what she had been through. They accepted that those awful things had happened and made sure Natalie knew they would help and support any way they could. But they never treated her as a fragile victim. They seemed to understand how hard Natalie had worked through it all not to be a victim.

Physically Natalie was almost back to full health. She was still very, very thin and her muscles were not quite what they had been before it all began. Her digestive system wasn't quite up to its old abilities either, but on the whole she felt she was ok. Mentally she was still suffering from nightmares and sometimes she would panic with little warning indifferent situations. She had worked out some of it, such as crowds and certain smells, but there was always the chance that some new context would trigger the horrors in her mind. But she knew none of it was real and a such she would persevere and get over it. And she knew she could counter it by living her life as fully as she could and spending time with people she cared about and knew to care about her. Victor and Pamela really were such people. Louis had taken to his grandfather straight away. Who wouldn't, Natalie had thought. The man radiated tranquillity and security.

Natalie hadn't seen Pamela for a couple of weeks, and they had much catching up to do. Natalie was thinking of finding herself some occupation again and Pamela was working as a publishing editor. Their discussion and chatter was quite like it always was, flowing easily and full of humor, but Natalie could not shake the feeling that there was something preoccupying Pamela's mind. She couldn't detect any sadness in her, so probably there was nothing wrong as such. Their chatting was then interrupted by a sound of keys at the flat door. Natalie watched Pamela's face light up.

"Oh, Victor's home, I'm glad he got away this early, he'd have hated to have missed your visit!" Pamela declared with almost girlish excitement and jumped up off the sofa. She made her way to the entrance hall just as the door opened and it was indeed Victor who came in.

Natalie saw the couple only as a reflection in the French glass doors but even this was enough to see the love the couple shared as they greeted each other with a kiss, clearly thinking they could not be seen. Natalie felt slight embarrassment to be watching them, but she could not avert her eyes either. The love between these dear friends of hers was glowing like fire from both of them and Natalie felt so happy for them. Then she saw how Pamela was saying something quietly into Victor's ear. His face seemed to light up, he seemed to stop in is tracks for a moment and just looked...what? Surprised. After a moment he cupped his wife's face with both his hands and pulled her into the most lingering, loving and passionate kiss Natalie had ever witnessed. It made Natalie blush and feel a little ashamed at her curiosity. And then one of his hands traced Pamela's shoulder and arm down to her waist level, slowly making its way onto her abdomen where it stopped, gently caressing her flat belly. Natalie smiled. That's what that preoccupation was.

In a short moment the couple emerged in the living room.

"Victor," Natalie greeted her father in law, getting up from where she was sitting and going over to greet him with a kiss. It was a warm greeting on both sides as it always was.

"Natalie," he replied with a warm smile. "Is Louis here?" he asked and Natalie simply nodded to the the study that was just off the living room where the boy was clearly absorbed in model airplanes. She was bursting with desire to declare how happy she was for him, but decided it was probably wisest to have a word with Pam first.

Victor didn't wait but went straight in to be greeted by excited whelps from the boy. Natalie took the opportunity to pull an expectant face at Pamela.

"Well, come on then, enough of this suspense, can I congratulate you two or what?" she said with a girlish smile as she took a very close hold of Pamela's arm and tugged her back to the sofas where their tea was. Pamela Blushed slightly.

"Was I that obvious?" she asked. Natalie simply gave a little laughed and hugged her friend.

"I'm so happy for you, I can't begin to tell," she said with tears welling up in her eyes. This was simply marvelous and beautiful. The women hugged again only to be discovered by Victor carrying Louis into to the room. For a split second Victor did not understand what was going on, but only for a split second. He was smiling as broadly as anyone had ever seen. Natalie heard them enter the room and let go of Pamela but only so that she could go over to hug Victor instead. Victor saw what was coming and set the boy down. It was one thing to carry him a bit, but he was getting to be a big lad now and his mother was clearly going to demand both his arms in reciprocation.

"Congratulations! I'm so happy for you," she said as she held him in a tight hug.

"Thank you Natalie... but how did you work this out so quickly? I only heard when I came in?"

Natalie smiled. "I could tell Pam had something on her mind all day. Then I saw you come in." Victor chuckled. It's not that they were going to keep it a secret, but they hadn't foreseen anyone else knowing about this as soon as they did. However, it was Natalie and it was all ok. They probably would have shared the news with her and Byron first anyways.

"But your secret is safe with me as long as you like, " she said.

They all convened at the sofa where Louis claimed his grandfather's knee and pulled him back into explaining details about ships and planes. After a while Natalie decided it was time for her and Louis to head back home and have dinner ready. Natalie felt so overjoyed

by the news she couldn't stop smiling.

"How far along are you Pam?" she asked.

"About two months. I think we'd like to wait a little before announcing this, but if you like you can tell Byron, don't you think Victor?"

Victor nodded. "Yes, I think we can tell Byron." No one said it, but Pamela was hardly a young first time mother and there was always a risk of complications in the beginning.

"Lovely, Byron's going to be over the moon." Natalie said as she got up and collected her handbag. Pamela saw her and Louis to the door.

"I'm really happy we could share this with you straight away," she said to Natalie who gave her one more hug.

"You know I love both you and Victor to bits and I know you'll be very happy with this baby. And you deserve it." And with that, Natalie left knowing the husband and wife had worlds to talk about.

Back in the living room Victor had not moved from his seat but was instead leaning back with his head resting on the back of the sofa, staring at the ceiling. He was going to be a father again. After all this time, there would be a new baby. He knew this was probably going to happen, but although they had decided to let nature take its course quite some time ago, nothing had happened. He had been certain he'd passed his prime and felt a little guilty for denying Pamela a chance at motherhood. She wasn't overly maternal and didn't seem to be too worried about the matter, but they had talked about it and she had said that should pregnancy be in the cards for her, she would be happy about it. She was well over thirty by now and this would probably be as good a time as it was ever going to be. She had worried that he wouldn't want any more children, but they had talked about this too. They talked about everything.

When he had walked through the door earlier, he had been anxious to know. He knew Pam had her appointment this morning. He had been eager to finish his day at work as early as possible in the afternoon. Natalie's visit had been a surprise and he suspected it was a surprise to Pam as well the way she made sure to catch him at the door with her news before anything else. And what news! He had almost dropped on his knees when she had whispered those words. "We're going to have a baby..." If he had thought he loved Pamela as much as he could, he had been wrong. Somehow he loved her even more. Thinking about it now, he would probably keep loving her more and more and there would be no limit to love.

Pamela returned to the living room and leaned over the back of the sofa to kiss him. He hummed in a low voice as he responded to her kiss. He then reached for her hand and pulled it a bit to guide her to come to the other side where he pulled her into his lap.

"Oh Pamela" he sighed as he pulled her in for a kiss. He was pouring everything he was feeling for her into that kiss and it was a slow, deep and searingly hot kiss of the most intimate sort.

"I hadn't quite realized how much I did want this until today," Pamela then whispered to him when they broke for air. Victor reassured her with another kiss.

"I don't really know what I've done right in this world to have you carry my child" Victor eventually said. His voice a bit on the emotional side in the way that only Pamela really knew. He still wasn't the most expressive man you'd find on the face of earth when it came to talking about his inner life, but Pam had managed to draw him out a little more. And the longer they spent time together the better she had learned to read him. She didn't expect any more as the way it was with them he expressed himself perfectly clearly to her in his deeds every day. The way he looked at her, touched her and made love to her - she did not miss any reassurances.

She leaned on him stronger to kiss him again. The intimacy they shared simply thinking about the new life they were creating deepened into the feelings that called for physical expression. Pamela needed to feel him touch her and caress her and possess her. Victor's feelings seemed to be on the same wavelength. To him his wife could not possibly be more beautiful and desirable as she was right now and he wanted to show her exactly how deeply she affected him. It was a perception of many people who had ever encountered Victor Henry that he was a reserved ad a bit of a boring square of a man. There were some people who had witnessed his charisma and presence and the vigor he possessed when so required. His wife was one of these people. Victor had no qualms about expressing his affection and love physically. On this particular afternoon the couple did not make it from the living room sofa and floor to the bedroom (or kitchen for a light supper) until much, much later.


End file.
